Elated to see their friends after three months of online schooling, Pali High students said on Tuesday, April 22 that the first day at the new location in Santa Monica came with mixed emotions and challenges.
This day marked the first time since Dec. 19 that Pali students attended classes in person. School administrators were forced to implement a distance learning plan after nearly 40 percent of the school was damaged or destroyed during the Palisades wildfires, which began on Jan. 7.
Senior Cyrus Hemmens expressed his positive outlook on returning to in person schooling, noting increased motivation and enjoyment compared to online learning.
“Being in person with other students really helps me with motivation… [because] when I’m with my peers I work harder,” Hemmens said.
Administrators announced on Feb. 20 that the school would relocate to the former Sears building in downtown Santa Monica. On April 21, teachers went to the site to set up their classrooms. The next day, students arrived for classes.
There were a few challenges the first day, ranging from inconsistent internet access to lack of soap in the student restrooms. Access and egress was an issue, too, as approximately 2,000 students exiting the building for nutrition found themselves in stand-still traffic on stairs and in hallways. By the end of the day, school officials developed a staggered dismissal schedule, which should ease the bottleneck traffic.
“There’s a lot of inconsistencies with how to get out of the building and organization… especially with the exits,” Hemmens said.
Wifi access was also spotty, as many students said that they were unable to use personal hotspots in various areas of the building. The basement classrooms were off the grid, according to junior Anne Kelly. Nonetheless, she said she was impressed by the work done to create a temporary home for Pali High students and staff.
“I’m really proud of [Pali’s team] for putting this all together, it’s impressive how they put together little classrooms from a building with no walls,” she said.
After undergoing a transformation from a department store to a mixed-use development space known as Mark 302 in 2020, the iconic Sears building was renovated into a site suitable for classrooms. However, issues in construction, funding and permits prevented school officials from realizing the initial – and ambitious – goal of returning to in-person learning in mid-March.
Prior to resuming in person learning, teachers and students experienced roadblocks in diverse ways.
Social studies teacher Nick Albonico, who serves on the Board of Trustees, shared some of the challenges associated with finding a temporary location to accommodate a comprehensive high school.
“We have 2,500 students that need a place to go… It’s hard to split students up because some teachers teach [classes with] multiple grades,” he said.
Moreover, Albonico explained financial issues Pali administration faced regarding obtaining a permit for the use of the Sears building.
“It sounded like the total project was going to be around $11 million, and our insurance covers about $10 million,” Albonico said.
Furthermore, Albonico said that significant construction changes were needed to transform Sears into a temporary campus.
Students and teachers agree that the three months spent in a distance learning environment were difficult.
“When you’re online, you’re really missing those face-to-face interactions,” English teacher Steve Klima said.
After visiting the Sears location while classrooms were under construction, Klima said he was encouraged.
“[At the building] I had some concerns with the acoustics…but talking with the administration, they’re trying to do a lot of different things to help…like carpeting and adding acoustic curtains,” Klima explained.
Junior Emma Almawy noted concerns she had about the Sears building serving as an environment conducive to learning.
“I think that it’s important to consider that there may not be enough separate rooms for teachers to teach their classes,” Almawy said.
Almawy added moving to a new site posed challenges for some of her classmates.
“A lot of people are already out of state and are staying with their families,” Almawy said. “It doesn’t make sense [to transition to Sears] because a lot of people will not be able to go in person, and it’s going to be very complicated adjusting to a new campus.”
Similarly, Junior Dylan Kuperburg who returned to Pali distance learning after transferring to Mira Costa for five weeks highlighted her mixed feelings regarding the return to in person classes.
“I think transitioning learning to Sears will be beneficial if and only if teachers are as understanding as possible,” Kuperburg said. “They can’t expect us to come in and learn like how it was before [the fires].”
While Kuperburg is excited to go back to in-person learning, she said she has concerns about the new location.
“I’m worried about parking, class sizes, and it’s going to be extremely difficult transitioning to learning from a day that spans from 8:30 a.m. to [noon], to one that goes from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,” Kuperburg said.
There is no denying that returning to in-person learning is a step forward for a school community that has endured many challenges and hardships.
In all, Klima voiced his hopes for the future of Pali.
“Looking at LA, the Palisades is a place of refuge… I love seeing students and staff in the village before a football game… I want that sense of community back,” Klima said.
